Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 2 > Division 5 > Part 2 > Chapter 5 > Article 1 - General

• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Ballot on demand system: means a self-contained system that allows users to do both of the following on an as-needed basis:

  California Elections Code 303.4

• bonds: means bonds issued by a local agency payable exclusively from the revenues of the enterprise for which the bonds are issued. See California Government Code 54729
• candidate: includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election. See California Elections Code 305
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Clerk: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, city clerk, or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. See California Elections Code 307
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
• Elections official: means any of the following:

  California Elections Code 320

• enterprise: means systems, plants, works, or undertakings used or useful in the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste, refuse, and garbage, or of sewage, waste, and storm water. See California Government Code 54727
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• improve: means reconstruct, replace, extend, repair, better, equip, develop, embellish, or otherwise improve. See California Government Code 54728
• Inspector: means the supervisor of the precinct board of which he or she is a member. See California Elections Code 325
• Judicial office: means the office filled by any judicial officer. See California Elections Code 326
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Local agency: means county, city, or any public district empowered to distribute water or engage in flood control. See California Government Code 54280
• Measure: means any constitutional amendment or other proposition submitted to a popular vote at any election. See California Elections Code 329
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Elections Code 335
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5
• Precinct: means a geographical area within a county that is made up of voters and is formed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 12. See California Elections Code 338.6
• precinct board: means the board appointed by the elections official to serve at a vote center. See California Elections Code 339
• Precinct board member: is a member of the precinct board and includes an election officer. See California Elections Code 339
• Primary election: includes all primary nominating elections provided for by this code. See California Elections Code 341
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Roster: means the official list of voters for an election, which may be in paper or electronic form. See California Elections Code 349.5
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• State: means the State of California or any department, agency, or officer thereof. See California Government Code 54280
• state agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and commission. See California Government Code 11000
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes any department, board, agency, or officer thereof. See California Government Code 54280
• Vote center: means a location established for holding elections that offers the services described in Sections 2170 and 4005. See California Elections Code 357.5
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Voter-nominated office: means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. See California Elections Code 359.5
• Voting system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software, or any combination of these used for casting a ballot, tabulating votes, or both. See California Elections Code 362
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.